Skin Remebers
by Irpen
Summary: An ongoing story written about Addien Van Bevan, a bookish girl who's love interest of four years, Gabriel Gray, is nearly oblivious of her feelings. After having her heart torn out, she truly learns what pain is.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any rights to the character of Gabriel Gray, he belongs to NBC's Heroes. This is merely fan-fiction of my growing obsession with him. I do, however own all rights to Addien Van Bevan.

**Author Notes**: Just scratching the surface, slight character development. I'm planning on many more chapters and installments on this story. It's an ongoing piece of work.

The night air was thick with pollution and broken dreams, parting her lips she swore she could nearly taste the regret, it's drifted through the entire city like tar. She was Addien Van Bevan, most called Addi, and she was turning nineteen this weekend. It was rare she was out much past the evening hours, clutching her books she swiftly move about the people that cluttered the still busy New York City streets. It was nearly 3AM on the fourth of July, and each bar she passed had, at least, one drunkard crying in the gutter nearby. Heading up her apartment stairs, she silently made her way inside. Her mother lived three apartments down from her place, she practically held her breath as she past. Finally shutting the door and throwing her books on the couch she pressed her blinking answering machine button and began to undress.

A familiar voice sounded from the plastic speakers: _"Hey, Addi, guess you're not home. I, uh, was wondering if we could, uh, do something this weekend? Call me back. Bye." _He was Gabriel Gray, twenty-two year old watchmaker, the boy whom has held her heart since they first locked eyes four years prior. His awkward message was enough for Addien to come galloping from her room pantie-laden, stomach full of butterflies. The smile was uncanny; a smile so bright it could outshine the Northern Lights, causing the strongest star to dim in shame. _"Yes!"_ she exclaimed like a child, hopping around her living room wearing nothing but her undergarments and that smile. Gabriel lived four apartments down from her mother, seven away from her. Sometimes she swore if he listened hard enough he would be able to hear her heart skipping beats.

Glancing at the clock, she saw it was mere moments before dawn, before she could call him back to make plans. _"I wonder if this is about my birthday?"_ she wondered to herself, floating off to her bedroom. In her eighteen birthday's before she had never truly had a traditional 'birthday party', her mother would scoff about how she had no life, and no friends to invite to a party. Her mother called her worthless. Everyday since her father left ten years ago. That night, Addien went to bed smiling. The endless possibilities of her heart hummed her softly to sleep.

--

Her alarm clock had malfunctioned, replaced by a subtle knock on her apartment door. Springing from beneath the satin sheets she bolted toward the sound. Stumbling around in her sleep induced stupor, she quickly, and clumsily, swung the door open. Pressing her glasses to her face Gabriel's image slowly came into focus. _"I didn't wake you… did I?" _ he asked quietly, giving a quick glance down at Addien's outfit; wife beater and boy's briefs. She shook her head 'no' and tugged gently at the bottom of her shirt.

"_You want to come in, Gabriel?"_ she asked, turning out from the door frame, allowing him to enter. He smiled and walked past her, settling down beside her books on the sofa. _"I made a mental note to call you back, I, gosh, I can't believe I slept so late."_ she added, stretching her arms behind her neck. _"Want some tea?" _she asked, pointing toward the kitchen.

Gabriel nodded, chuckling beneath his breath as she fumbled her way around the kitchen. _"So, about making plans for this weekend? Are you up for something?"_ he asked, looking over his shoulder at her head darting up from under the cupboards. Her short muddy colored hair sticking up in bunches, her eyebrow that was always delightfully cocked in the air, as if always in question of your nobility. _"It's been awhile since we've seen each other, just, uh, us. You know? I just, I guess, miss that." _he trailed off, turning his face toward the living room wall.

The sound of the kettle hitting the floor made Addien cringe, shrugging her shoulders tightly against her neck. _"Yeah, I doubt I'll be doing anything."_ the moment the phrase past her lips she regretted it. 'Smooth, Addi. Real smooth.' she thought, rolling her eyes. She knew it had sounded as if his company was a last resort. _"I mean, I really miss you, Gabriel."_ she added quickly, gathering herself to her feet and placing the water on the stove to boil. The air rapidly became heavy with awkwardness, Addien stared blankly at the back of Gabriel's head, wishing she could hear the words he wanted her to say. _"Is Chai still you're favorite?"_ she asked softly, knowing the answer long before he confirmed.

Balancing the two cups carefully in her arms she made her way over and settled down beside him. Gabriel thanked her and sipped lightly avoiding eye-contact. Addien scanned over his body slowly, exhaling softly through her nose, trying to draw in his scent. Drinking slowly, and letting her eyes close she imagined his lips pressed against hers, hands cupping her breasts, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. _"I met a girl."_ Gabriel broke the silence, snapping Addien back into reality. Spilling what was left of her tea into her lap she blinked rapidly, trying to process what he had said.

"_What…?"_ she asked, trying to sound more excited then crushed.

"_Yeah, I met this really nice girl at work."_ he began, keeping his eyes pressed to the floor and slowly finishing his drink._ "She was dropping off her father's old pocket watch to be restored for his 40__th__." _ he trailed off, raising his eyes to her. _"I really like her Addi."_ he concluded, as a wave of understanding washed over her. _"I think I'm in love."_ he added quickly, not noticing Addien's mouth hanging agape.

'That's why things had been so awkward.' she thought. 'He met a girl. He's in love.' Addien straightened her spine and plastered on her best smile. _"That's so great, Gabriel!"_ she slapped his knee playfully, tipping her head at him. _"Why didn't you tell me sooner!"_ she laughed, standing and collecting their teacups and saucers. _"When do I get to meet her, eh?"_ she added, trailing off to the kitchen quickly as the tears quaked in her eyes. Turning the faucet on she let the hot water run as she slid onto her hands and knees, losing control.

"_Maybe this weekend?"_ she heard his voice sound from the living room. Completely happy, his voice dripped with happiness, something she had never conjured up in him. Something she **would never **conjure up in him. _"I got her phone number, Addi, can you believe that?" _he gushed _"She's so beautiful, too. You wouldn't believe how much so."_ she bit her lower lip until she could taste her body's copper. _"Maybe Friday I could go out with her alone. Then maybe Saturday you could tag along with us to this concert I got tickets for."_ Addien shook her head in disbelief, her birthday was this Saturday, he had completely forgotten. _"Where are you, anyway?"_ he added, standing and peering into the kitchen.

"_Dropped my earring." _Addien shouted from the tile floor, wiping her eyes quickly and standing. Gabriel was standing in the doorway by the time she turned around. His head was slightly tipped, with his eyebrows furrowed.

"_I don't have your ears pierced…" _he said, slightly squinting his eyes toward her. His thick-framed glasses pushed up atop his cheeks.

"_I got them done a couple weeks ago."_ she responded, shoving the hoop through her ear again. _"It's no big deal." _she coughed, sliding past him, pretending to ruffle her hair, hiding her red swollen eyes. _"Well, I've got errands to run, and you probably have to make plans for this weekend."_ she turned her back towards him _"I won't be able to go with you two this weekend, I just remembered, I have a Psychology test I need to study for, it's Monday."_ without turning around she turned her head and glanced slightly over her shoulder _"You know the way out."_

The statement was cold, Gabriel felt it and took a step backward. _"Yeah…"_ she stammered, replaying the entire conversation in his mind, trying to find the fatal error. _"I'll talk to you tomorrow, then?"_ he asked, leaning his head forward, as if expecting her to whisper a secret. Minutes past, until finally Addien walked out of the room without another word.He got the picture, and closed the door tightly behind himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any rights to the character of Gabriel Gray, he belongs to NBC's Heroes. This is merely fan-fiction of my growing obsession with him. I do, however own all rights to Addien Van Bevan.

**Author Notes**: Still working on rough details, character building - I'm planning on many more chapters and installments on this story. It's an ongoing piece of work.

Addien dropped to her knees, she could feel her lungs constricting inside her chest; her head lunged itself against her ribs until her shoulders throbbed with the tension. Ripping at her shirt she wrapped her hands around her throat, each breath a shallow echo of the last, until her gasps for air evolved into chest-crushing sobs. She pulled the sheets from her bed and wrapped herself on the hardwood floor. She wanted her father, she wanted him to hold her, to tell her the world is not collapsing within itself. She needed the feeling of his beard on her forehead, she needed to be rocked, to be told, _breathe… breathe… breathe. _

She had fallen asleep were she lay, the sun reached through as the curtains danced against the warm summer breeze. Addien's eyes slowly fluttered open, arms aching from her body's weight as she got back onto her feet. She walked into the bathroom and glared at her reflection. _"Maybe it was just a dream."_ she whispered. _"Maybe if you weren't so fucking worthless, it would be." _she scoffed, yanking her tank-top over her head and stepping into the shower. Turning straight hot water on she cringed and shook as it scalded her flesh, chapping her pink, then red as her veins pulsed with agony… until she felt nothing at all. She stood with her face pressed against the wall for nearly an hour before she slid lightly out, as feeling steadily came back to her, causing every movement to have an immediate consequence.

Pinning the towel under her arm, she glanced at the clock that read 7:30PM. _"Christ."_ she spat _"I slept like twenty hours."_ she added, before walking toward the kitchen to pour herself a tall glass of Brandy, her drink of choice. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted her answering machine blinking. Dropping her shoulders she slapped the button, and grabbed the drink from the cabinet, along with the largest glass she owned.

'Three New Messages. First Message:' sounded before Gabriel's voice crackled through. _"Addi… I don't know what happened yesterday, but I'd like to see you today before I head out with Rachel. Uh, call me back before, like, Six. Alright, bye." _Addien rolled her eyes and snatched the beer mug from in front of her, filling it to the brim with the warm tan fluid her father always sipped. 'Next Message:' _"Uh, it's Gabriel again… where are you? It's half past noon now, I haven't heard from you yet. Well, uh, call me when you get this please."_ With each gulp, the whole situation became more and more comical. 'Next Message:' _"Addien, where are you? I've called twice before. What's gotten into you? I've got to leave in like twenty minutes… I don't understand. I'm worried about you. I'm coming over after I take Rachel home."_ 'No New Messages.' sounded after the final click.

"_Don't worry, I won't be here."_ she growled, sorrow quickly being replaced by rage. Dropping the empty glass into the sink Addien rushed to her room to get changed. _"I don't know why I'm rushing. He's probably taking his sweet time with her."_ she mumbled, the bitterness rising like bile in her throat. Throwing on a wispy earth-toned dress, she snatched her keys from the corner table and locked the door behind her.

--

Stepping outside, the city seemed unfamiliar, she blamed the alcohol and trudged along, having no destination, longing only to become a phantom in the night, to be lost completely, to not be found by the too rough hands of the boy she loved for so long. Her head spun with a million thoughts, a thousand different situations where she should have pressed her body to him. She should have spoke the words, let her lips drift across his face like a dream. She missed his scent, the smoothness of his skin, his soft laugher, she missed his touch, though she had never fully experienced it… she missed the hope that inhabited her chest like a parasite._ "You cannot make love to concrete, if you cannot pretend, concrete needs your loving."_ she softly quoted Audre Lorde and slipped into the evening smoke.

She had only walked a few blocked before she spotted Gabriel in a restaurant window, across the street. The air caught in her throat as she stepped into the shadows and watched them. Gabriel sat solemnly across the table from Rachel. Rachel was as beautiful as he had said, she was everything Addien was not, everything Gabriel had longed for. Long brunette hair dangled elegantly from over her shoulder, and pooled slightly at the plunge of her red silk dress. A mixture of envy and sorrow tore through Addien's heart as she pinched her lips together, harboring the tears at bay. She watched Gabriel stand to leave, she watched him wrap his arm around her waist, she watched the kiss, the kiss that sent a tremor through the earth, that shook the foundation surrounding her, until she had to look away. Addien sat on the sidewalk with her head down until all that remained of him were faith tail-lights in the distance. He would be at her doorstep soon.

In that moment, standing before the restaurant she would never go in, the meal she would never be part of, the love, his love, she could never have claim over - she wanted to run back home. She wanted to be there for him. She wanted to spread her arms like a crucifixion and hold him, beg for forgiveness for being so foolish; because any attention of his, is attention. _"At least he thought of me today." _she uttered _"… at least for a moment he worried."_ but her mind quickly scolded her heart in all of it's foolishness. _"I'm dunk."_ her face went blank _"I need to stop kidding myself."_ So, she began her way home, to her empty apartment, to her empty bed, which was now accompanied by her empty chest, heart carved out from the gravity of truth. She was alone, and holding onto the boy next door, was salt in the wound.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any rights to the character of Gabriel Gray, he belongs to NBC's Heroes. This is merely fan-fiction of my growing obsession with him. I do, however own all rights to Addien Van Bevan.

**Author Notes**: Plot building - I'm planning on many more chapters and installments on this story. It's an ongoing piece of work.

Addien drug herself up the apartment stairs, her chest feeling as if her heart were pumping cement. Fumbling with her keys she approached her apartment door to find it ajar. Addien's eyes widened, fear snapped her sober and dried the saliva in her mouth. Creeping towards the door she pushed it open and glanced around. Stepping inside, nothing was missing, everything was, remarkably, just as she left it. Glancing at the time on the stove she read 2:17AM. _"Where did the time go?"_ she asked herself softly. _"And what in the Hell happened to my door?"_. Walking in farther, she noticed feet draped over the arm of her sofa - Trademark argyle socks told her who it was. She made her way around and found Gabriel, asleep, on her sofa.

Addien carefully pulled his glasses from his face, folded them, and laid them softly on the coffee table. Tiptoeing into her closet she pulled a small quilt from storage and covered him. She softly brushed his hair from his face and whispered goodnight before crawling into her own bed, washed with exhaustion, still feeling the subtle pang of sorrow in her chest. A moment of dread for the morning ahead of her drifted into her mind as she slowly fell into sleep.

Morning came silently, as Gabriel awoke on Addien's sofa. Pushing the quilt from his body and reaching for his glasses, he knew she had come home. Stretching like a cat he rustled his hair and walked quietly toward her bedroom. Pushing the door open with his fingertips he saw her, laying peacefully sprawled across her bed. One bare leg protruded from under the covers and hung limply over the edge of the mattress. Pushing his weight onto the end of the bed, he checked to see if she would stir; when she did not, Gabriel crawled slowly up toward her, laying with his face next to hers, listening to the soft, steady sound of her breath.

Gabriel had drifted off to sleep as he woke up a couple hours later, Addien had cuddled her body up to his, her arms tucked delicately into her chest, with her head pressed into his. Pulling the blankets up around them, he wrapped his arm around her back, and pulled her snug against him. Laying his head lightly atop hers, she breathed her in. Her scent was one of pine and rain, she smelled of freedom, he felt free. For the first time since he had met her, he felt truly free with her lying motionless in his arms, silent but the sound of her breath.

Addien woke, eyelashes fluttering, attempting to focus the picture in front of her. Her eyes locked on Gabriel's face. Attempting to be stealthy, she peered over at his arm hugging her close, a spark of joy kissed her face with a smile. Confusion set in, and she couldn't understand how this had happened. Wiggling her body, she got out from under his arm and scuttled to the end of the bed. Looking down at him, she squinted her eyes in disbelief. 'What in the Hell is going on?' she asked herself, throwing her arms up in the air and diving in the closet for her pants. Every sound she cause made her snap her head over to the bed where Gabriel still lay silently. Slipping her shirt on, Addien slowly crept toward the bedroom door.

"_Addi…?"_ she heard groggily from beyond her shoulder. She turned to find Gabriel sitting up in her bed staring over at her. _"What are you doing?"_ he asked, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the side of his head.

"_Nothing. Wh - What are you doing…" _ her eyes drifted over to him _"… in my bed." _ she added quickly, dropping her arms limply to her sides.

He laughed softly and got up. _"I was cold, I think." _ he grabbed his cardigan that was drapped over the lamp beside the bed and turned to her. _"We need to talk, Addien."_ his voice was much more serious now, and Addien swallowed hard.

--

Addien slumped over on the sofa as Gabriel sat too, and turned to face her. _"What's going on, Addien? These last few days, you've been… everywhere. Is something the matter?"_ he asked, his eyes heavy with worry. _"I just don't know if I've done something to upset you. I left you a whole bunch of messages… you listened to then, then left?" _he sighed _"I had to break into your apartment, if I hadn't… If I hadn't I wouldn't have even seen you this weekend." _Gabriel went to brush the bangs away from Addien's face, but she pulled away.

Addien drew in a breath, dropping her eyes to the floor. _"Gabriel…"_ she began, struggling to muster up the courage to tell him the truth. She couldn't. _"Gabriel, I'm moving."_ she exhaled, refusing to look at his face. The moment the words left her lips, Gabriel's expression dropped, his shoulders slung down, as he tipped his head in an attempt to see her eyes.

"_What? How long have you known? Why in the fuck did you wait so long to… Jesus Addien. What the fuck?!" _Addien had never heard him curse before. Her body shrunk back as if absorbing blows. Gabriel stood quick and threw his arms through the air. _"Why? Where are you going?"_ he demanded, slamming his hand into the wooden table in front of them, causing her vase of flowers to shatter on the ground.

Addien stood, _"Because I need to! I need to leave, I can't watch yo-…" _ she halted herself, rephrasing quickly, _"I can't stay here." _she took in a few sharp breaths and forced her eyes to lock with his. _"I'm leaving tomorrow."_ she uttered, watching Gabriel's jaw fall slack. She tightened her fist at her side and tried to quell her lip from quivering.

Gabriel stared at her for what seemed like eons, his eyes searing her flesh before he shook his head and turned away. Seizing his jacket he stormed out of her apartment, slamming the door so hard on his way out the hinges shuttered, and the picture of them fell to the floor.

--

Addien made her way around her apartment, packing the necessities, and abandoning the rest. She shoved clothes into her bag, along with her books of poetry, and her scrapbooks. Turning to the window, she pulled the curtains open and let the dawn's light warm her skin. Grabbing a pen she wrote a note to Gabriel, with that she tacked a poem, knowing he wouldn't be able to come back before she was cities away.

Lugging her bag over her shoulder she made her way down the hallway, pausing to slip a note under her mother's door, and kissing the steal apartment numbers, before she trudged on, past Gabriel's door, as the tears welled up inside her eyes, that moment of doubt, 'this is a mistake!' her heart screamed, throwing itself at the mercy of her sternum. Touching the faded wood, she turned and exited the apartments, dropping her key inside before the doors locked her out.

Addien sat alone by the bus stop, the morning's dewy-tears still clung to everything, moistening her shoes, her hands, her face. Slipping her headphones on she waited quietly, until a hand upon her shoulder startled her. Ripping the buds from her ears she craned her head around, to find a middle-aged man in a suit before her. _"Yes?"_ she asked, starting up at him.

"_Are you Addien Van Bevan?" _he inquired. As Addien nodded 'Yes' a small grin tugged up the sides of his lips as she pulled away from his grip becoming tighter on her shoulder.

"_I've waited a long time for this moment, Addien…"_


	4. Chapter 4

Before Addien could move, or speak, the man tore her from the bench and pressed a cloth hard beyond her teeth. The sour chemical filled her head within moments, inhaling it into her lungs she felt it burn as she slipped slowly out of consciousness. The man lifted her limp, lifeless body from the sidewalk as a black Lincoln pulled up beside them. A younger man, tall and slender took her and lugged her into the trunk of the car. _"No one saw you, right?"_ he asked, igniting the vehicles engine, and checking the mirrors anxiously.

Slipping into the backseat the older man crossed his arms across his chest impatiently. _"Don't be an idiot. I've been doing this a long time."_ he snapped, pulling a cigar from his jacket pocket and lighting it with a puff of smoke. _"No one will even care that she's gone. She made it so bloody easy."_ he cackled, slapping his knee and shaking his head. The car cruised along, crossing New York state lines into Maine. They must have driven for hours after leaving New York, before slowly pulling to a stop outside of a small wooden building. The younger man smiled and stepped out, cramming the keys into his back pocket. _"Grab her. Leave her here for a couple days. I want her good and panicked." _The younger man nodded and popped the trunk, where Addien still lay unconscious; grabbing her he drug her into a small room and chained her hand to the pipe that jutted out of the wall. Glaring down at her, he knocked her back onto the ground with his foot and locked the door behind himself.

Pulling away the sun slowly tucked behind the evergreens, the younger man looked in the rearview mirror and for a moment, a deep regret filled his eyes, as he watched the building grow small behind him. His foot hovered a moment atop the break-pedal, he couldn't understand why this was different, why she was different. A tear gathered in his eye and skidded down his cheek as he shifted gears and kicked up dirt from beneath the wheels.

--

Addien's eyes snapped open as memories flooded her mind; gripping her temples in pain she tucked her face into her knees. She blinked rapidly, starting at the ground beneath her trying to accustom her eyes to the dark that surrounded her now. She tried to stand, only to be yarned from her feet again by her wrist, which was still chained to the wall beside her. _"What in the fuck…" _she let out in a harsh whisper. The fear washed over her, she could feel it making its way from her gut up to her chest. It was a heat that burned a path over her body and smoldered in her cheeks, the room grew hot and spun around her like a dream; it had to be a dream; please, let it be a dream! She whipped her arm around franticly trying to free herself, tears dropping from her face and soaking the front of her shirt – it was hopeless. Falling onto her back she placed her feet firmly on the wall and attempted to break free, pushing all her weight against the wall, and pulling with all her strength on her wrist and arm. The blood trickled down the rusted metal bracelet as she slowly lost her will. _"Where am I?" _she cried into the empty room, shadows clung to everything, even as her eyes focused to the darkness. She could make out sinks, and large exposed rusted pluming all around her. There was a metal table of sorts directly in front of her, and an old tank to her left.

Everything smelled of mildew and the floor felt damp to the touch, her breathing was ragged, her chest rose and crashed in rapidly, trying to comprehend the situation she had been placed in. 'Exits' she thought to herself, scanning the corners of the room. _"Nothing!"_ she slammed her hands into the ground, hitting something, and sending it across the room. Addien tried to focus her eyes toward the object, it was out of her arms length, but she could reach it with her feet. Kicking her shoe off, she lay out on her back and stretched for it. It was a necklace; she could feel it under her flesh, as she drew it closer. Sitting up her snatched it up, running it between her thumb and index finger. _"What…?"_ she whispered in confusion, looking down at a set of military dog-tags. It was too dark to make out the name, so she tucked them safely into her bra. She needed to find a way out, and fast.

_**-Eerrt-**_ She heard the door slowly open, and her face automatically whirled toward the noise. Footsteps sounded from the room in front of her; she could see light surrounding the cracks where the doors hinges were. She was saved! Someone had found her! _"I'm in here! I'm here!"_ she bellowed, rattling the metal chain against the pipe, releasing a loud tang that echoed though the room. _"I'm here! I'm here!"_ she yelled again, beating her hands against the dirty floor. Shadows fell in front of the door, before a blinding light filled the space around her. Her eye-lids slammed shut as she threw her free arm in front of her face, shielding her eyes from it. She heard the door slam shut again, opening her eyes slowly, she could see only static. Wiping the tears away, she tried to focus again. Slowly, her vision came back, and slowly, she realized, she was no longer alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Addien could feel eyes upon her; chills ran up and down her spine as she stared blankly into the abyss surrounding her. _"I know you're in here!"_ she shouted angrily, growing in frustration. _"Who are you?! Why in the hell am I here?!"_ she demanded, gritting her teeth. The middle-aged man from the bus stop slowly stepped into her line of vision, reaching up; he tugged the light string, illuminating everything in a dull yellow hue. Addien tried fiercely to focus her eyes on him better; she needed to learn the map of his face. _"I'll fucking kill you!"_ she threatened, yarning vigorously on her wrist.

_"Mighty words coming from someone chained to a wall."_ He cooed, bending down on his knees meeting her eyes. _"I have so many things planned for you, Addien, so many wonderful things." _she could feel his breath brushing her cheek as he ran his fingers through her hair. She snapped her teeth at his hand, slapping his face with her free hand. _"Well, that's no attitude to have! I'm going to help you, Addien." _he snarled, gathering himself to his feet and straightening his suit jacket. _"…besides, you only wanted to feel important to someone, and now you will."_

_"Who in holy hell are you!?"_ she growled, snapping her eyes up to his. _"Why am I here, and what do you want from me?"_ she tried to get to her feet once again, only to fall back down. _"And unchain me, goddamnit!"_ she yelled rattling the chains in frustration.

_"You may __call me Linderman__, and the reason you are here is because you are special. I need you to help me, and then I can help you."_ he smirked, drawing a small key from his pocket. _"I really don't think I can trust you, though. Besides, you need to be sitting down for the tests."_ he trailed off, tucking it slowly back, and turning on his heels. Linderman walked over to the steel table, and slipped off his Rolex.

_"What tests?"_ she asked, her voice had lost all authority as a deep understanding washed over her.

_"Oh, well, to utilize your true potential, you'll need a little bit of… stimulation." _ he laughed drily twirling a second pair of handcuffs around his finger.Addien's face dropped, the colour drained from her cheeks and her eyes widened at the sight before her. She shook her head franticly, backing up toward the wall, pushing away with her feet, until she had nowhere else to go. _"Now, now, that's no way to be."_ he added sharply, slamming the cuffs on the table and drawing a syringe from beside him. _"You just need to get some sleep, while I get everything ready."_ he laughed jubilantly as he drove the needle into the side of her neck, injecting the hot liquid into her bloodstream. It was only moments before the darkness engulfed her again.

--

Addien's heartbeat sounded like a rhythm inside her own head, she swore everyone around her could have heard it if they listened close enough as she forced her heavy eyes open. Four sets of handcuffs were applied to her now, each hand, and each foot. She struggled for a moment, feeling the unforgiving metal dig into her soft porcelain flesh. _"Nice of you to join us."_ sounded smoothly from behind her, she tried to face the sound, but was unable to turn her body.

_"What are you going to do to me?"_ her voice was pleading now, her hands trembled and lips quivered as Linderman emerged from beside her. _"What did I do… why me?"_ she asked franticly, viewing him from the corner of her eye. Linderman picked up a small scalpel and slowly inched toward her.

_"You're special, Addien. You don't know how much so." _He paused for a moment, looking down at her chest as it heaved up and down in desperation. _"I'll help you… you'll see." _with that, he slid the blade over the straps of her tank-top, sending the top tumbling down and pooling near her stomach. The sharp surgical steel nicked a small section of her skin and caused her whole body to jump. Linderman smiled down at her, touching the blood with his finger and bringing it to his lips. _"You see, when you're scared, or hurt, or angry… you're body releases certain chemicals in your brain. I need you to release those, I need you primitive."_ he continued, drawing the blade back to her flesh and slicing the space above her breasts.

Her screams echoed throughout the room, her blood shot out and saturated her bra. _"You've got the wrong person! I'm not special!" _she cried, ripping her arms from side to side trying to break free. _"Please, don't. Please… please!"_ she begged, as he brought the shinning steel to her face. _"No, no, no!"_ she screamed as he tore long her jaw, separating the skin from muscle, the muscle from bone. The pain throbbed through her entire body, her legs quivered in agony, and fingers stretched out for help. No one could hear her; no one was coming to save her. Images of Gabriel flashed behind her eyelids, his smile, the way his eyes lit up when he laughed, she remembered everything, she wished she had never left.


	6. Chapter 6

She was unaware when she had slipped from consciousness, but awoke to the dark. The cold had left her fingers numb, she was certain at least two of them were broken. She tasted copper and felt the dried blood on her face, all she could think of was Gabriel. The tears quaked in her eyes, breathing deeply she held them at bay. Oh, she was certain it was his voice calling to her, _"Gabriel…" _she whispered, turning her head and rolling her eyes past her shoulder. Linderman sat, legs crossed, beside her.

_"Not quite__, darling, though__ he is on the list."_ he exclaimed, slapping his knees and standing back up. _"It must have hurt to have your little heart broken."_ he mocked, smirking in front of her. _"Then again, you're not much to look at are you?"_ she snarled at him, and turned her face away. _"You're not cooperating__!"_ he bellowed, slamming his hands into the arms of the chair, sending it, and Addien, into the air. He pulled his face in close to hers and uttered in a low mumble, almost inaudible _"I could make this so much harder."_ Addien drew back and spit into his face, her saliva gliding down his cheek. _"Have it your way." _he barked, grabbing the chair and tossing it into the middle of the room.

Standing in front of her he tore her bra from her chest, exposing her breasts as the oxygen stopped sudden in her lungs. Addien's eyes were wide as she struggled and squirmed in the chair, desperate to get away. His hands moved slowly over her, he forced his fingered past her belt and tugged on the lace of her panties. _"This is all you ever really wanted!" _he shouted, unzipping her pants and exposing her legs. _"Why didn't you just ask Gabriel to fuck you?"_ he leaning his face down and biting the band of elastic _"That's all you want." _he growled, thrusting his fingers inside her. Addien pushed her knees together, pulling with all her might on the handcuffs on her legs. She could feel his fingers inside her, as he reached around and gripped her ass.

Something cracked, she had broken a foot loose, and before Linderman could react she drove her foot into his jaw, sending him flying backwards. Addien quickly struggled to get the second free, but he recovered too quickly. Linderman laughed; licking his fingers he brought his hand to her face slapping her hard. Addien felt her face burn hot as blood vessels exploded inside her cheek, the bruise was already forming. _"You're progressing!"_ he remarked, cackling. Grabbing a wad of her hair in his hand he drug her back against the wall. _"Just a while longer."_ he whispered harshly into her ear, trailing his tongue up the side of her face.

--

Gabriel sat silent in his bedroom, every sound was amplified, and every movement seemed to crash around him. Rebecka had called and left messages, but he had no intention of replying. In his hand his gripped the small package Addien had left for him in her apartment, which he had found earlier. He had read the front a hundred times already and still couldn't bring himself to break the seal, tears dripped down his face, staining the paper, and blotting the ink. _'Don't open until I'm gone.'_ it read, in Addien's clumsy cursive. Gabriel drew in a deep breath and forced the package open, from inside a small pile of papers fluttered out, along with an unlabeled CD.

He slid his finger over the smooth, hard plastic and let his eyes slowly drift closed as he gathered the papers into his hand. The first page was a poem, the second a playlist, the third – a handwritten letter from Addien, he could spot her writing anywhere, and he missed her. It washes over him as he straightened his glasses upon his face and read the poem in silence; it was _"Photograph" by Andrea Gibson._ He could feel the tears gliding gently down his face as he read it over in his mind _"__I wish I was a photograph____you carried like a future in your pocket__…"_he wiped his face with the sleeve of his grey cardigan _"__I still love you like moons love the planets they circle around____like children love recess bell__s…" _Gabriel could almost hear Addien's voice, tucking his knees into his chest he crumpled the paper over his heart and lay back on his bed. _"I think of happy, when I think of you."_ he repeated, little sobs escaping between each vowel.

The sun was sinking low behind the trees and Gabriel felt trapped within the walls of the apartment, he grabbed his keys and slammed the door, rushing past Addien's old apartment door; eyes squeezed shut. The air was refreshing, he breathed in deep, trying to exhale all the pain that had built up inside him so quickly, trying to forget how empty he felt without her here, how blind he had been for so many years. He turned the corner in front of his father's old watch repair shop; he let himself it, just to clear his head, just to get a little work done.

An hour had passed before he even realized, fixing the right pieces in, the small watch sprung to life again, Gabriel felt the weight of a smile tug on the sides of his lips, and he dropped his eyes, _"I can still fix things."_ he whispered, knowing he was only half right. It was too late for customers, but the door bells still jingled as someone entered. Gabriel turned, magnifying glasses still snug to his face _"May I help you?"_ he asked, as calm and friendly as he could muster. He would much rather have been left alone.

_"__I hope so, Mr. Gray__."_ the man replied, letting himself in, and walking toward Gabriel, a book tucked tightly under his arm.

Gabriel scanned over the stranger, focusing in on his wristwatch. _"I can fix it."_ he stated, touching the face with his finger, letting the light reflect off its surface. The man tipped his head –

_"My watch isn't broken."_ But Gabriel furrowed his brows at him.

_"Actually, it is."_ he turned over his hand to accept the piece as the man slowly slipped it from his wrist. _"The watch is running two seconds slow."_ Gabriel said, holding the face up to his ear.The man looked at him in disbelief _"It's just a talent I have… knowing how parts, should work."_ Gabriel added, as he began to work. Gabriel went on to explain where the parts originated from as the stranger looked on intently over his shoulder. Handing the fixed watch back to him, he looked up, something changed in the room's atmosphere, and he knew… _"You didn't come here for the watch…"_ Gabriel said slowly, removing his glasses.

The man smiled _"I came here to find you, Gabriel. My name __is __Chandra Suresh, a geneticist__… and I have a theory about human evolution, and I believe you, are a part of it."_ He concluded, taking the book from under his arm and extending it to Gabriel. _"Read it, and if you'd like to talk more, I've written my phone number and address inside.__"_ With that, Chandra smiled lightly and made his way to the door, leaving without another sound.


End file.
